NEW DELHI: The Centre is planning to fix accountability for diversion of funds meant for the welfare of dalits, a move that could institutionalize the concept of Special Component Plan (SCP) after four decades of drift. The Union social justice ministry is planning to insert "penal provisions" in the implementation of the SCP that would make the "sanctioning authority" and the "implementation authority" in the states and the Centre liable for diversion of dalit funds. Though at an early stage, the plan is to recommend specific punishment for the violation. The move is likely to be achieved by rewriting the rules on SCP, with the Centre and states in their ambit. "We want to fix accountability in the implementation of SCP. We want the budget for SC welfare to be used as per norms," Union social justice minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot told TOI. "This would act as a deterrent for the indifferent officialdom." The SCP, also known as dalit sub-plan, mandates that the Centre and states should set aside funds for welfare of SCs in proportion to their population. The dalit sub-plan has failed to take off in the four decades of its existence with most arms of the governments only doing lip-service. The biggest problem has been the diversion of funds for non-dalit welfare measures. A reason behind its failure have been the constant battles by some ministries that they cannot divide funds into dalit and non-dalit compartments, like roads and schools that are used by all irrespective of their caste. Consequently, repeated efforts by the Centre to activate the SCP came a cropper. However, many states have lately brought in laws to give a legislative backing to dalit sub-plan with Andhra Pradesh pioneering the initiative. In UPA-2, the social justice ministry made a belated push in this direction at the fag end of its tenure but the move could not fructify. As per the draft law, it was proposed that all states and Union ministries would submit 'dalit budgets' six months ahead of the fiscal and "nodal bodies" would approve the proposed expenditure on the "only for dalit" parameter. The draft law also proposed that the governments formulate "incentives for commendable performance and disincentives for proven negligence and lack of due diligence by an official". However, it could not move past the draft stage with the PMO turning down the demand from social justice minister Kumari Selja to rush it through the cabinet in the last month before the 2014 elections.